Spiritual Leadership - It May Not Be What You Think It Is

For the husband is head of the wife, as also Christ is head of the church; and He is the Savior of the body. -  Ephesians 5:23

The Bible gives spiritual instruction with respect to how mankind is to relate to God, his creation, and other people. Man to man. Woman to man. Woman to Woman. Child to Parent. Parent to Child. Husband to wife. Wife to husband. Although spiritual, those relationship principles can be applied in the natural realm. But cannot be accomplished as God intended apart from the presence of the Spirit of God.

Quite often people will take something out of context, like "the husband is head of the wife" to establish that the husband has the final say in a marriage relationship, suggesting that the wife had no say in the decisions, leaving off the rest of the verse that speaks to being like Jesus and sacrificing himself for the good of the wife. They twist the scripture to their natural - carnal advantage. And so, being a Christian, they can hide their carnality behind the scripture they have pulled out of context to justify their behavior.  Demonstrating that they .... 

[have] a form of godliness but [deny] its power. And from such people turn away! - 2 Timothy 3:5

You may or may not be familiar with the story in 1 Kings 12 about Rehoboam -Solomon's son and heir to the throne after Solomon's death. The tribes cam to him asking that he show kindness toward them since Solomon's hand had been heavy. We will pick the story up at that point ......  

Then King Rehoboam consulted the elders who stood before his father Solomon while he still lived, and he said, “How do you advise me to answer these people?” And they spoke to him, saying, “If you will be a servant to these people today, and serve them, and answer them, and speak good words to them, then they will be your servants forever.” But he rejected the advice which the elders had given him, and consulted the young men who had grown up with him, who stood before him.

 And he said to them, “What advice do you give? How should we answer this people who have spoken to me, saying, ‘Lighten the yoke which your father put on us’?” Then the young men who had grown up with him spoke to him, saying, “Thus you should speak to this people who have spoken to you, saying, ‘Your father made our yoke heavy, but you make it lighter on us’—thus you shall say to them: ‘My little finger shall be thicker than my father’s waist! 

So Jeroboam and all the people came to Rehoboam the third day, as the king had directed, saying, “Come back to me the third day.” Then the king answered the people roughly, and rejected the advice which the elders had given him; and he spoke to them according to the advice of the young men, Now when all Israel saw that the king did not listen to them, So Israel departed to their tents.  But Rehoboam reigned over the children of Israel who dwelt in the cities of Judah. - 1 Kings 12:1-20 

And so the kingdom was divided. The point is that be it a king or a husband, each has been called to be a servant. 

Whoever desires to become great among you, let him be your servant. And whoever desires to be first among you, let him be your slave— just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many. - Matthew 20:26-28

We would say in the Army that you cannot be a good leader if you are not a good follower. With a farmer - does the land serve him or does he serve the land? That answer is "YES".

With leadership comes authority - certainly - but also responsibility and accountability and service.

Anything less is abuse and contrary to God's intent. Or said more simply - it is sin.

Think about it – Pray about it – Believe it – Walk in it. Let your light shine and give God the glory.

By Faith Alone By His Grace Alone And For His Glory Alone